Cloth-measure



N0. s|5,29o. Patented Dec. 6, I898.

n. B. LUSE, c. E. DONLIN & P. H. STEWART.

v CLOTH MEASURE.

(Application filed Jan. 20, 1898.;

2 Sheets-"Shut I.

No llode l.)

Qwoewtow Patented Dec. 6, I898.

n. B. LUSE C. DONLIN &. P. H. STEWART.

CLOTH MEASURE.

(Application filed Jan. 20, 189B.)

(No Model.)

we Nonms warms covv mmo-uwov. WASNINGTON, o c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RILEY R. LUSE, CHARLES E. DONLIN, AND PERRY H. STEWART, OF HOPKINS,MISSOURI.

CLOTH-MEASURE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 615,290, dated December6, 1898. Application filed anua y 20,1898. Serial No. 667,835. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, RILEY B. LUSE, CHARLES E. DONLIN, and PERRY I-I.STEW- ART, citizens of the United States, residing at Hopkins, in thecounty of Nodaway and State of Missouri, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Cloth-Measures and we do declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

- Our invention relates to improvements in cloth-measuring devices, andmore particularly to that class wherein a thread actuating [5 a train ofself-registering gearing is inserted by means of a guide-sleeve orhollow finger.

between the fold of the end of the bolt and, beginning at the inner endof the cloth, is carried around the folds backward and forward until theopposite end of-the cloth is reached, so that the amount or length ofthe thread required to traverse the cloth will be registered by thegearing, and thereby indicate the length of the cloth in the bolt; and

the object is to provide a simple, eifective,

and reliable device of this class.

To this end the invention consists in the construction, combination, andarrangement of the several elements of the device, as will behereinafter more fully described, and particularly pointed out in theclaim.

The accompanying drawings show our invention in the best form now knownto us; but many changes in the details might be made 3 5 within theskill of a good mechanic without departing from the spirit of ourinvention, as set forth in the claim at the end of this specification.

. The same reference characters in the drawings indicate the same partsof the invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of-our improved cloth-measure. Fig. 2 isa rear view with the cover open. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section takenbehind the dial. Fig. 4 is a cen- 5 tral longitudinal section taken at aright angle to the view shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is an enlarged plan viewof the dial and registering-hands. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the gearsystem.

5o 1 represents the hollow cylindrical handle, provided at one end withthe yoke 2, formed with the circular casing 3, from which the integralsocket 4 extends in the same longitudinal line with the handle 1, and 5represents the tubular needle for carrying the thread between the foldsof the bolt, and it is screwthreaded at its inner end, so as to bedetachably secured in the outer end of the socket 4,

as shown.

6 represents a spindle fixed in the casing 3 and extending centrallythrough the axis of the handle 1, its outer end terminating in integraldiverging tension spring-fingers 7 7, on which is removably secured thefrictionwasher S.

9 represents the spool, mounted so as to freely revolve on the spindle,its inner end being held in frictional contact with the conical shoulder10 on the spindle by means of the washer 8,which is pressed against theopposite end of the spool by the spring-fingers 7 7, so as to keep thethread 12 on the spool from overriding when the tool is in use.

13 represents a guard-guide for the thread 12 as it leaves the spool,and it consists of a curved finger formed integral with the inner edgeof the cylindrical shell which forms the handle 1, so as to conduct thethread outwardly and prevent it from coming in frictional contact withthe spool.

14 represents the hinged cover by means of which access is had to theregistering mechanism, and 15 denotes the fixed glass protecting-coverfor the dial.

16 represents the thread-actuated wheel, 8 5 which is formed with acircumferential groove transversely serrated or milled to facilitate itsengagement with and prevent the thread slipping.

17 18 represent the grooved guide-rollers, 9o journaled in the sameplane with the wheel 16, and which serve to conduct the thread to andfrom said wheel. The thread passes from the spool through the guide13,thence through a diagonal slot 19, which communicates with 5 aguide-orifice 20 in the casing, thence through a radial groove 21 formedin the circular plate 22 and alined with the groove in the perimeter ofthe guide-roller 18.

24 represents a tension-spring fixed at one end to said plate 22, andits free end extends transversely across the face of said groove toretain the thread therein and also create sufficient friction on thethread to enable it to operate the wheel 16. From the roller 18 thethread 12 passes part way around the wheel 16, thence to theguide-roller 1'7, the periphery of which is alined with the longitudinalguide-orifice 26 in the socket 4, and from the socket 4 through thealined guide-orifice in the needle 5. The socket 4 is formed with alongitudinal groove which communicates with the guide-orifice 25 tofacilitate the insertion of the thread. The wheel 16 is fixed on theprojecting end of the shaft 27, journaled in the plates 22 23, and saidshaft is provided with a pinion 28, which meshes with a gear-wheel 29,fixed on the shaft 30, the end of which extends through the plate 23 toreceive the hand 31, which registers the fractions of a yard on thescale 32 of the dial 33.

34 denotes a pinion on the shaft 30, which meshes with a gear-wheel 35on a shaft 36, which in turn is provided with a pinion 37, meshing witha gear-wheel 38 on the central shaft 39, one end 40 of which extendsthrough the plate 23.

41 denotes a sleeve snugly encompassing said projecting end 40, so as tobe carried by said shaft by friction; but if pressure be applied to saidsleeve, as will be hereinafter more fully described, then the sleeve canbe rotated independently of said shaft.

42 represents a pinion fixed on the inner end of said sleeve, whichmeshes with a gearwheel 43, journaled on a stud 44, fixed in the plate23, and 45 represents a pinion carried by the gear-wheel 43, which inturn meshes with a gear-wheel 4G, fixed on the lower end of a sleeve 47,loosely rotating on the sleeve 41, the agreement of the gearing beingsuch that one complete revolution of the shaft 30 is made for each yardof thread passing over the Wheel 16, and twenty-five revolutions of theshaft 30 cause one revolution of the shaft 39, and twenty-fiverevolutions of the said shaft 39 cause one revolution of the sleeve 47.Of course this system of gearing is optional and may be varied at willin the construction of the measure, preference only being had for thedecimal system of registering.

The sleeve 41 carries a hand 48, which registers on the outer scale 49on the dial 33, and the sleeve 47 carries a shorter hand 50,whichregisters on the inner concentric scale 51.

52 represents a hollow post extending radially from the casing 3, inwhich is j ourn aled the shaft 53, on the outer end of which is fixedthe milled-head button 54. The inner end of this shaft carries abe'velgear 55,whioh meshes with a spur-gear 56,which in turn meshes withan idler 57, journaled in an oscillating plate 58, which is pivoted onthe screw 59, fixed in the frame-plate 23. The idler also meshes withthe gear-wheel 43 on the stud 44, so that the hands 48 and 50 may bequickly returned to the u nison or zero point by means of the milledhead button 54. The idler 57 is normallyheld out of mesh with thegear-wheel 43 .by the.

spring 60, and (31 represents a rod fixed at its inner end to the freeend of the plate 58 and extending through the casing, so that when saidrod is pushed in the idler will be thrown into engagement with thegear-wheel 43.

The manner of using the measure is very simple, and may be brieflydescribed as by inserting the needle at the inner end of the bolt andsecuring the end of the thread, then passing the needle back and forthbetween the folds until the outer end of the cloth is reached. Thethread as it is paid out rotates the wheel 10,whieh in turn operates thehands, and thus indicates or registers the length of the thread paidout, which of course conforms to the length of the cloth in the bolt.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new anduseful, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

In a cloth-measure, the combination with the cylindrical handle 1 formedwith the integral guard-guide finger 13, the yoke 2, the casing 3 formedwith the guide-orifice 20, and the diagonal slot 19 communicating withsaid orifice, the longitudinally-slotted socket 4 formed with thecentral longitudinal orifice 26, and the needle 5 formed with the alinedguide-orifice 25, of the spindle 6 fixed at one end in said casing andextending axially through said handle and terminating in the divergingtension spring-fingers 7, 7, the washer 8 removably engaging saidfingers, the thread-actuated wheel 16, and the grooved guide-rollers 17and 18 journaled in the same plane with said wheel, the dial-scale, thehands 48 and 50 and a train of gearing connecting said wheel 16 andhands 48 and 50, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof we hereunto ailix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

RILEY B. LUSE. CHAS. E. DONLIN. PERRY ll. STEWART. lVitnesses:

N. H. HERBERT, K. Bnoxwrrrr.

